1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to packing and shipping cartons, and in particular concerns a plural-compartment carton formed from an integral flat piece of a sheet. The sheet is cut to form panels, and folded to provide certain partitioning and access features. When erected the carton has plural access openings in the front wall for access to internal compartments, for use as a display carton on retail shelves and the like. Flange portions of closure flaps cover the access openings during closure and shipping. The closure flaps can be removed for retail-display use of the carton.
2. Prior Art
A two-compartment packing and shipping carton is advantageously used, for example in the candy packing industry, for packing two complementary products. In the example of candy, the two compartments can be used for comparable products with nuts and without nuts, respectively. Various other examples of alternative choice products are also possible. A known two-compartment container for shipping and display of alternative products comprises the combination of a separate cap-like top, which is relatively shallow, with a deep box-like bottom.
At the packing line, the box-like bottom is filled with material, such as bags or bars of candy. The cap-like top is placed on and affixed to the box-like bottom for shipping or storage.
It would be advantageous for purposes of efficiency if a carton could be formed from an integral piece of stock such as corrugated paperboard or the like, rather than made from separate pieces. Such a carton could be cut, perforated or similarly subdivided to define panels, and folded to form and close the carton. However, this should not unduly complicate manufacture, packing, handling or use of the carton. Considering the needs for multiple compartments, access to the interior for packing and later for access to extract the product, these objectives can be difficult to achieve in a straightforward manner. Whereas the manufacture, packing and handling of the known two-piece carton is already rather complicated, changes to the carton configuration presents a risk of undue complication and expense.
For example, the known two-piece carton is customarily handled several times between manufacture and retail use. The manufacturer, packer, shipper, retailer and customer all have their particular needs and objectives. The known two-piece carton has been developed in an attempt to serve the convenience of each.
The manufacturer of the known carton typically forms the parts only partly into the fully-assembled and erected state of the finished carton. The manufacture typically forms at least some of the folds in the pieces and affixes some of the joints by glue, staple or tape. However, it is most convenient for the manufacturer to leave the carton pieces in a flat or folded collapsed condition, to conserve space for shipping to the packer. For example, the parts of the partially formed carton can be shipped with the box pan folded in half and collapsed flat. This configuration is compact, allowing a number of the cartons or parts of cartons to be stacked flat.
The packer unfolds the box-like bottom piece to erect it. This may include closing the bottom flaps using glue, staples, tape or the like, or the carton can have a self-erecting bottom. In any event, after erecting the box the packer fills the box-like bottom with product, and forms and attaches the top to the bottom to close the package for shipping or storage.
The retailer opens the carton sufficiently to enable customers to access the contents, while the product remains substantially housed in the carton and does not spill out. The retailer seeks also to display the product attractively and reasonably prominently, to encourage selection by the customers.
What is needed is an improved plural-compartment packing and shipping carton that serves all these objectives efficiently and at minimum expense, preferably using a single integral flat piece of paperboard or the like, to provide a carton that is quickly, easily and inexpensively made, that is durable for handling, and that provides an attractive display permitting ready access to the product.